#WhatToWear: to Toning Class

Flex your style while you tone your muscles.

When starting a fitness plan, it's easy to get caught up in the idea of doing lots of cardio to bring up your heartrate and get you sweating.

But it's just as important to remember to work your muscles, too. More muscle mass makes working out easier and helps you get healthier faster. Intimidated by racks of weights? Try a toning class. By using smaller weights, you ease into weight training easier, hit harder-to-find muscle groups, and get your muscles warmed up for working out.

What It Is: At ModelFIT, a favorite option for besties Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift, instructors focus on smaller muscle groups and slower movements to build lean muscle.

"It works especially well on toning the hard to reach muscles and problem areas, especially for women," says Vanessa Parker, one of the co-founders of the studio. "The movements we focus on are slowed down so you really feel the muscles that you don't normally use."

What to Wear: Sticking with fitted clothing will help see muscles while you're toning to be sure you're targeting the right areas. The instructors at ModelFIT also recommend something with colorful — the bright pops help boost your mood and keep energy high.

What Not to Wear: Skip anything that makes you feel uncomfortable — if you don't want to bare your arms, try a shirt, or swap leggings for shorts if you feel self-conscious about your legs. Feeling comfortable will help you stay focused on the workout.

Don't Forget to Bring: Buying your own set of leg weights, which get used the most often in ModelFIT classes, might be worth the investment and they're easy to throw in a gym bag. Face wipes to clean up post-flex and a reusable water bottle will have you feeling fresh.